DARK SHADOWS FORUMS
General Discussions => Current Talk Archive => Current Talk '24 I => Current Talk '04 I => Topic started by: VictoriaWintersFan on April 13, 2004, 09:07:14 PM
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(May contain spoilers)
I am currently watching disk #2 of Set #11 and have just watched the last episode of Alexandra Moltke (very sad to see her go) and have seen the new "Vicki". She isnt a horrible actresss, but she just isnt Victoria Winters.
Does anyone know who Betsy Durkin is, as in previous roles? I know she only lasted on the show for 10 episodes, but why was she chosen for Victoria? Also doesn anyone know why they didnt just write Victoria off instead of try to recast the role. It would have been better to see Victoria leave with Alexandra (though I have yet to see the final appearence of Victoria as I have not seen any of these episodes after)
Shane
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You know, I was just watching some of Betsy Durkin's eps on video the other night. I thought the same thing - she isn't really a bad actress, it's just impossible to accept her in the role of Vicki, after we've gotten so used to Alex Moltke in the role.
Unfortunately, I don't know anything about Durkin, or how she was selected. She's a pretty girl though, and I think she bore as much of a resemblance to Joan Bennett as did Alexandra Moltke (though in a different way).
The only thing I've ever been able to find out about Betsy Durkin was that when she was hired as Victoria, she already had some experience on stage. It's also possible that she worked as a choreographer. Dark Shadows appears to be her only on-screen credit.
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She was a singer as well - there were a couple of records with her vocals on issued about the same time as her DS stuff.
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I'll betcha the only reason why Betsy Durkin got the part was because her father probably owned the building which housed the ABC DS studio.
"But Mr. Dirkin, we already offered it to a girl named Raquel Welch. She's done some fine work already and..."
"I don't care, Mr. Curtis. Either my daughter gets the part or tomorrow you'll find yourself filming your little show in front of Ohrbachs. Betsy, sweetheart, come in here!"
"Yes, Daddy."
"You got the part! Right, Mr. Curtis? Isn't the wonderful, honey!"
"Yes, Daddy."
"Betsy, darling, don't slouch."
"Yes, Daddy."
Gerard
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You're wicked, Gerard.
[vryevl]
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You're wicked, Gerard.
[vryevl]
Yes, Dadd.... I mean, yes I am, ain't I! >:D
Gerard
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Alexandra Moltke left kind of quickly as Dan Curtis released her from her contract. They didn't have enough time to have AM do a farewell episode and the character was too established to have someone just state that "Vicky left me a not stating she has left Collinsport for good".
Jacklyn Smith was a possibility to be the new Vicky but she refused the role.
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ROTFLMAO, Gerard!
I have to say I greatly dislike Betsy Durkin in the role. I don't know if she was just miscast (since I haven't seen her do anything else) or if she was just a bad actress. She just didn't seem like Victoria to me. Carolyn Groves was a much better fit, IMO.
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I think Betsy was too energetic. Vicki seemed more passive. Even when she was investigating something and really getting into it (especially during the earlier parts of the show), she still seemed quiet and gentle. Betsy's version was too "gung ho."
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I still think Betsy Durkin looks like Monica Lewinsky.
I'm assuming she's the one that Alexandra Moltke met in recent years, as stated in one of the DS DVD interviews.
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I think most everyone of us who were kids back in the sixties had one babysitter who was just like Betsy - you know, that combination Gidget-The Rock look and personality. In their own way they were pretty, but for some reason you never were snotty around them, unless you wanted to spend the duration of your time under their care folded up into a box and set in a corner.
Gerard
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Too right Gerard! My version of Betsy was my cousin Charlene, who, when she babysat, played the best games with us, but would brook NO nonsense.
Wonder if David and Amy were similarly intimidated by the "new" Ms. Winters?
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my problem with The Icky Vicki was her voice. She just did not fit in with the rest
of the cast.
jennifer
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Wonder if David and Amy were similarly intimidated by the "new" Ms. Winters?
I'll betcha, Cassandra, that if the Newmisswinters had somehow survived, David would not've dared locked her up in some forgotten, secret room for days on end. I'm sure after awhile, the rambunctious lad would've been pleading with Roger: "Please, father! Send me to boarding school! Make it Switzerland! Anywhere! And you don't even have to bring me home for Thanksgiving, Christmas or even summer vacation!" As for Quentin's ghost menacing the governess, well, that haunting would not have lasted very long.
Gerard
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Gerard, you are too much! :D
Poor David, he had enough to deal with before that iron butterfly The New Miss Winters came to stay!
And the mental picture you've conjured of of Betsy Durkin 'going off' on Quentin's ghost is amusing me no end! He wouldn't have stood a chance against her. >:D
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As for Quentin's ghost menacing the governess, well, that haunting would not have lasted very long.
Can't you just see her standing up to Quentin's ghost the same way she stood up to Nicholas?! So, maybe it's a very good thing that Durkin's Vicki slipped into the past and wasn't around, or else Quentin might have gladly gone back into his room, never to be heard from again after an encounter with her. ;D
(At the same time, though, a more forceful Vicki would have been a more interesting Vicki...)
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Was just watching an episode with Carolyn Groves as Vicki last night. She seemed to combine both the gentility of Moltke with Durkin's more forceful persona. I think she'd have been quite good if she'd been allowed to continue as Vicki. As for Durkin, IMO she'd probably have been a good Vicki if they decided to take the character to the darker side, as Moltke wanted them to do. Any thoughts?
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I agree with Cassandra that Betsy Durkin would have made a good Victoria Winter's-The Darker Side. Everyone slams her because she wasn't Alexandra but I think she was pretty good considering the size of the shoes she had to step into. Out of the many, many characters on DS, I think one of the worst character portrayals was the gal who played Letisha Eldridge(?) the life force for Eve in the Adam storyline. Sure she was creepy but not in the right way and just wasn't good at that role. Another awful portrayal IMO was the first Willie Loomis. I didn't think he could act his way out of a paper bag. Finally, it'll be really interesting to see how the new Victoria Winters is portrayed.
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I've always slammed Ms Durkin because I thought she was godawful.
The third actress something Groves??? to play Vicki, I thought was rather good. She was only on for several episodes. I recall being impressed that she managed to sell the "I don't understand" line far better than Moltke.
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Don't know why they got rid of the Viki character, but I've always thought that if Groves had taken over the role after AM that the character would/could have continued on. Of course this is without knowing why they decided to get rid of Viki once and for all.
Anyone think Viki could have continued to the end of the series, or do you think the character just played itself out? Sort of like the Josette character became obsolete in the scheme of things. Honestly, I don't think I could have taken another Josette/Barn rehash.
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Anyone think Viki could have continued to the end of the series, or do you think the character just played itself out?
I think it depends. If they'd given her back some of the spunk and intelligence that she'd originally had, I think Vicki could have been an interesting and integral part of the show for years. Sadly, though, that didn't appear to be what they wanted to do with her. :( So, if they were just going to keep Vicki as the clueless doormat that she'd unfortunately become (and had been for way too long IMHO), then it was definitely a blessing that she was written out.
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hi! this is my first post to the forum.i am nowhere near the betsy durkin eps. in watching d.s. on video(i'm in 1795 starting from ep.1), but i can't imagine anyone other than a.moltke playing her.she's so pretty and her vague danish accent is so distinctive.plus i doubt there's ever been another human being with hair as lustrous as ms. moltke's!
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Hi! Welcome on board!
dom
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I've always slammed Ms Durkin because I thought she was godawful.
I thought she was awful too. :-X
Talk about overdoing it......(over-emoting?) Ya gotta give her an A+ for effort and enthusiasm though.
Truth be told, I never thought much of Alexandra Moltke's acting either. [a2a3] Talk about under-doing it. (Is there such a word?) The only person on DS who comes to mind, who was more expressionless was Anthony George.
I LIKED her though. Loved looking at her....and what a beautiful head of hair. I used to stare at her hair. (that rhymes)
8) :-X 8)
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The third actress something Groves??? to play Vicki, I thought was rather good. She was only on for several episodes. I recall being impressed that she managed to sell the "I don't understand" line far better than Moltke.
That was Carolyn Groves and yes, I thought she did a good job at portraying Vicky also. In fact, she seemed to resemble A.M. much more than Betsy Durkin did. I think that if the character of Vicky were to last until the end of the story Groves would have fit in with it just fine.
Betsy Durkin was way too over dramatic IMO and after awhile I would get a headache just watching her, especially when she and Roger Davis were doing scenes together!
Cassandra
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I would get a headache just watching her, especially when she and Roger Davis were doing scenes together!
Well, RD scenes=headache. That's just a given. ;D
One suspects, though, that Durkin *may* not have been as easy to break up on camera as Moltke was - so, maybe RD might have gotten frustrated working with her and might have left the show much earlier. In that way, she *could* have been a blessing in disguise. [wink2] But alas...
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I'm watching the Betsy Durkin and Roger Davis scenes now. IMO (I know everyone dislikes her) I think Durkin was excellent with Davis. To me, it was just too unbelievable between Davis & Alexandra Moltke. Davis was definitely too vigorous for her whereas even laid back as Anthony George was, he was still a better match for Moltke. I thought George was excellent in his scenes with David.
I just never bought into the Jeff & Vicki romance the way it was played out. However, I liked them together as Peter & Victoria. Too me, Moltke and Durkin cannot even be compared because they approached their roles in such a different manner IMO.
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i have often heard tids and bits about some serious dislike going on between a.moltke and r.davis and that he might even have been partially responsible for her leaving the show(besides being pregnant).does anyone have the skinny on this rumor?the only actor i think alex had any real chemistry with was mitch ryan, from ep.1 i saw it and there was a scene early in the run when he kisses her in his room.it was very tender,it's a shame ryan left before him and vicki really hooked up.
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i have often heard tids and bits about some serious dislike going on between a.moltke and r.davis and that he might even have been partially responsible for her leaving the show(besides being pregnant).does anyone have the skinny on this rumor?
the only actor i think alex had any real chemistry with was mitch ryan, from ep.1 i saw it and there was a scene early in the run when he kisses her in his room.it was very tender,it's a shame ryan left before him and vicki really hooked up.
Mitchell Ryan's love scenes were very good with all the ladies IMO and I hear he got a lot of practice. ;D
I do recall Moltke cringing in her love scenes with Davis towards the end. He definitely had more chemistry with Durkin. As I recall, the love scenes between Moltke and Anthoy George weren't very good. He didn't seem to have any problems in his love scenes with KLS though and they were passionate by standards of those days.
I've heard a lot of the actors had problems with Davis. Don't know exactly what they were about but he is one of the few DS actors that has stood behind the show over the years and always attends the fests and is quite fun to listen to IMO. He and John Karlen are great in getting the fest audience into it.
I know that all the ladies here think that Quentin's love scenes were hot but I always thought he was a little too programmed if you catch my drift. The really passionate scenes were between Karlen and Barrett and Frid and Parker IMO. I'm probably the only one who thinks that Astredo was sexy. He certainly was extremely handsome despite all the make up.
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I know that all the ladies here think that Quentin's love scenes were hot but I always thought he was a little too programmed if you catch my drift. The really passionate scenes were between Karlen and Barrett and Frid and Parker IMO. I'm probably the only one who thinks that Astredo was sexy. He certainly was extremely handsome despite all the make up.
You are NOT alone! I completely agree with you about Astredo. He just sizzles in our recent episodes with Marie Wallace. I just love him to pieces with his gloves and hat. And, his facial expressions are just too amusing for words! I love a man that amuses me. His voice can also be quite deep and sexy like. Example: "Look into my eyes." Oh yes, I will look into your eyes. Quite gladly I'm sure. LOL!
I think Frid just sizzles with Barrett particularly in the Barnabas/Charity Trask scenes (1897) and the Carolyn/Barnabas scenes (1967). I just think those two have good chemistry together.
(http://home.pacbell.net/cbsbiz/Victoriaquill.gif)
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I completely agree with you about Astredo. He just sizzles in our recent episodes with Marie Wallace. I just love him to pieces with his gloves and hat. And, his facial expressions are just too amusing for words!
I agree with you! I had always thought of Nickolas Blair as quite the "handsome devil" on the show! IMO though, I didn't really didn't care for his pairing with Maggie and would loved to have seen him and Eve in a relationship. I thought they had great chemistry together.
Cassandra
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2 points off my chest.......first......watching the last vikki (groves) go to the gallows while bradford and barn watched...shame on the writers cause the winters character would never go to the noose without a fight, even though the plot had her kind of wanting that next world with bradford... to watch her so emotionless during the march to the gallow and all of it...was a let down......
Second..........does anyone else think that the Nicholas Blair character looks like Errol Flynn?
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I actually thought some of the scenes between Charity and Barnabas were kind of erotic. :o
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I don't think that Betsy Durkin had done much acting - nor did she do much after Dark Shadows. She was a model, and she was hired to wrap up the Victoria character. Later, it was decided that the Victoria's finale was not enough, so they brought back the character for a few more episodes, but Carolyn Groves (who had been an actress for a while) was hired to play the role.
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I can tolerate Betsy in the role, but as you all have stated she can't hold a candle to Alexandra.
Had they cast Carolyn Groves first, or even Kate Jackson whose Daphne reminded me so much of Vicki, maybe the recast wouldn't have worked out so disasterously.